Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Bomb hoax sparks scare in schools

By Our Staff Reporter

Lunch plates lying scattered as students of a middle school at Chinthadripet ran away after a bomb scare on Friday. — Photo: Vino John

CHENNAI, JULY 23. Dozens of schools across Chennai received bomb threats, creating a major scare among children, teachers and parents on Friday. All the threats turned out to be a hoax, after a thorough check by police in every institution that called for help.

According to police, 26 schools in different parts of the city received bomb threat phone calls. Police teams fanned out and checked the schools for explosives.

But meanwhile, panicked parents, who heard about the threats, proceeded to the schools and took away the children, forcing the authorities to declare a holiday for the rest of the day.

Police had a tough time pacifying the students. A police release later said all the threats were hoax calls and asked parents not to panic but immediately inform the nearest police station.

Five injured

Three students, injured in a melee at a private school in Choolaimedu, were admitted to Apollo Hospital later in the day. A press release issued by the hospital said the students were put on ventilator support and their vital signs were being continuously monitored.

In another incident, two children of a school, also at Choolaimedu, were injured and admitted to the emergency ward of CHILDS Trust hospital.

While Sangeeta (9) had to be put on ventilator support, Bharathi (7) was unconscious and under observation.

Doctors in the hospital said the injuries could have been sustained in the stampede, when the children could have fallen down, trampled upon and their oxygen supply cut off. "Very extensive damage to the brain can result from lack of oxygen. It remains to be seen how these children fare," Dr. B. Ramachandran, head, Paediatric Intensive Care, said.

While Sangeetha would have to be in hospital for at least two days, Bharathi would be discharged after she recovered consciousness, he added.

Other children were admitted to a local private hospital and discharged the same day.

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